Controversial Split Decision in IBF Welterweight Title Fight

On Saturday, Natasha Jonas successfully defended her IBF welterweight title in a closely contested and controversial split decision victory over former American champion Mikaela Mayer.

After the fight, Mayer expressed her disappointment with the decision. "I thought I did enough to win," she said. "I outpunched her and outworked her, landing clean shots and pushing her against the ropes."

Mayer believes a rematch is necessary to settle the score. "I think another fight between us is worth watching. Unfortunately, I didn't have a rematch clause in my contract, but I hope we can arrange a rematch. It's disappointing, but I hope Natasha will be a fair champion and give me the opportunity to prove myself. I truly believe I deserve a rematch."

Exciting Fight Between Natasha Jones and Mikaela Mayer

The fight was exciting, to be sure. Indeed, both fighters were willing to admit as much. “I knew from the first 10 seconds it was going to be a battle and halfway through I thought this is fight of the year,” Mayer said. “She is in the top-two fighters I have faced,” Jonas stated of Mayer, “and she will be devastated with this defeat, but she should use it as motivation to become a two-weight world champion,” Sure enough, Jonas claimed that only the great Katie Taylor proved to be a tougher foe. Sure enough, Taylor remains one of the only fighters in the world to officially hand the 15-2-1 Jonas a loss.

Saturday marked the second loss of Mayer’s 19-2 career, the first defeat coming from Alycia Baumgardner in 2022. Still, there was a lot of good to be said about the American’s performance. Those who wondered how the former junior welterweight could compete at welterweight had their questions answered loudly and clearly. Throw in the fact that Mayer fought as well as she did against Jonas in Jonas’ home town of Liverpool, England, and it’s easy to see why her performance was impressive. It’s also easy to see why some will feel the thirty three year old was robbed. That assertion might be hyperbolic, but the point is clear – many reasonable people thought Mayer should have been the one walking out of the ring with the IBF title in her possession on Saturday.

“We had a rematch clause on her side, not on my side,” Mayer said, “but this is a warranted rematch. I feel like I deserve another shot and I want to go again.”